Thai Travel Diary: Bangkok

This look I wore day 2 in Bangkok. I’m wearing a black peasant blouse tucked into a vintage, patchwork skirt. It was so dang hot out, but since we were visiting temples, I had to have my legs and shoulders covered. A flowy skirt is always my go-to in this situation because it breathes.

People always say that my spirit animal is Miss Frizzle from the Magic School Bus, and I think this outfit really exemplifies that. I bought this little brown TOPSHOP bag specifically for Thailand and it came in so handy! I used it all 12 days! But, I’m sad to report that I had to leave these platform espadrilles there because they got so gross walking around the city. Read more about my experience in Bangkok below!

If I could spend all my time exploring the world, I would. I’m always so confused by people who don’t like to travel. I get so inspired by new countries and cultures, and my recent trip to Thailand was no exception. We did 3 nights in Bangkok, 3 in Chiang Mai, 4 in Phuket, and 2 in Krabi. I’m going to do vlogs for each city, here is my first one for Bangkok on my youtube page.

Now I want to start off by saying – if I had to rate my favorite Thailand cities in order, Bangkok would actually come in last. But, it’s still a fantastic, bustling city with lots to offer. I’m not going to lie, the flight was brutal. There are no direct flights from LAX to Bangkok, so we had a layover in Taipei, Taiwan. We landed in Bangkok around 11am their time, and got to our hotel, Park Plaza Bankok Soi 18 around 1pm.

I’m an ambitious traveler, and I really don’t like having down time when I’m in a foreign place; but, catch me in Hawaii, a place I’ve traveled to over 20 times, and I’ll be lounging like a lizard with a book 🙂 Needless to say, once we landed, I wanted to refresh and get out!

The first thing we did came highly recommended by our tour guide: Siam Square, which is a GINORM shopping mall. I learned Thai people have a major obsession with Western culture, and their idea of fun is heading to a super duper mall and eating McDonalds. I’m not even kidding. Don’t bother stopping at Siam if you’re in Bangkok.

The second day, we did a fantastic tour of the city. We started out at Wat Po (wat means temple in Thai!) which was so incredibly intricate and ornate. The Reclining Buddha was also quite impressive and definitely worth a visit!

After that, we took a ferry ride across the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. This temple I found to be less impressive. It was under construction and was much smaller and less decorated than the first. However, it’s considered one of Bangkok’s major riverside landmarks.

After that, we cruised through the klongs (canals,) which was very enjoyable and eye-opening. Many of the wooden homes built along the river look like they are about ready to fall into the water. It’s definitely a glimpse at what life in Bangkok is like for many locals.

We went to a “sky bar” later in the evening. The sky bars were made famous thanks to The Hangover, but if you’re from a big city, or have ever visited a big city, these sky bars look like any normal rooftop bar. Expensive, and not really worth it for more than a drink.

On our 3rd day in Bangkok, we went to this AMAZING market called Chatuchak. It’s only open on weekends, and if you are there while it’s open, I highly suggest going. It was the best shopping in all of Thailand, for the best prices. I made the mistake and didn’t buy as much as I should have there for my friends and family (and myself) and I was kicking myself later in the trip. You can find anything and everything here!